Here's a helping of the latest:
Rebbetzin Chaim David responds to Renegade Rebbetzin:
Thought you'd never ask!Mendel emails:
As Chaim David's better half (his wife) I'll try to explain. Initially Yamamai was something that came to him along with the nigun. I thought it was some kind of African influence from his childhood in Johannesberg.Trying to get him to sing la-la-la didn't work -- he kept coming back to ya-ma-mai. The first few times he played it at home it was very somber. I told him it was the worst song he ever wrote and begged him never to play it in public. At some point it was so unbearable I said, "Either that song goes, or I do." His keyboardist also said that this song makes no sense.
Chaim David didn't listen to me (mah-nishtana) and debuted with the new nigun in concert in Hebron. And the rest is history.
Our dear friend, violinist Ruby Harris refers to it as "Yo Mama."
L'havdil, Rav Moshe Weinberger shlita of Aish Kodesh in Woodmere gave a parush that Ya MaMaH is actually the rashai tavot of Y'-Hashem, Melech Malchei Hamelachim.
More recently, Chaim David was told by the daughter of Rav Hillel Leiberman, HY"D that when she sat in jail for protesting the expulsion from Gush Katif, she and the other young women sang it as YoLaMaYa- or Yehudi Lo Migaraish Yehudi.
I don't know what answer Rebbetzin Renegade was expecting. I just hope that she's not sorry that she asked.
On one of the early pirchei records there was an old Yiddish song. I think it was called “vi nemt min” do you know where I can find the lyrics?Z'man Biur forwards a link to his Holiday pet peeves. Some of them are about the music.
